Thursday, January 22, 2015

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Perfect Ten: My mobile MMO experiment, part 2

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST

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hello hero
Last week on Perfect Ten I began an experiment to "taste test" a batch of mobile MMOs to see if there's anything out there that's worth playing in this day and age (apart from the often-recommended Order & Chaos Online and Spacetime Studio's lineup). For the record, I would absolutely love a great mobile online RPG, but it would need to be a game that's tailored to such devices and offers a compelling experience beyond trying to clone a generic MMO.

Let me sum up my adventures so far: While I did discover a couple of interesting titles, there was nothing in the first five games that made me want to keep them on my smartphone. Let's hope that this week's group brings out the big guns because I will be despondent if this experiment is in vain!

Continue reading Perfect Ten: My mobile MMO experiment, part 2

MassivelyPerfect Ten: My mobile MMO experiment, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Raph Koster is collaborating on Crowfall [Updated with video]

    Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:50 AM PST

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    Does it have your attention NOW
    So here's a funny story: Yesterday, the Massively writers were shooting the breeze in team chat when the subject of sandbox devs who were not also closet-gankers came up. "When do you think Raph Koster will finally make a new sandbox?" I asked, half kidding and half wistful. "Never," Jef answered. Then we commiserated for a bit.

    It turns out we were remarkably prescient because that day is... today. ArtCraft, the studio working on the nebulous PvP MMO Crowfall, announced today that Koster, the backbone of MMORPGs sandbox legends Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, has been collaborating with the Crowfall team on the game's design for a year already as a "formal advisor and design consultant."

    "Raph and I have been working together for about a year on the design architecture for Crowfall," ArtCraft's J. Todd Coleman wrote. "At the heart of this game, we have two core systems: dynamic territorial conquest and a player-driven economy. Marrying these two concepts is the holy grail of MMO development, and Raph is arguably the best person in the world to help us solve this puzzle."

    Koster gets a blurb of his own in the PR: "There isn't anything on the market like Crowfall, and it has been a long time since some of these design ideas were explored. There's a very specific audience out there waiting for a game like this -- the conflict, the real economy -- that has been looking for new steps beyond the games of ten years ago."

    Your move, MMO genre.

    Continue reading Raph Koster is collaborating on Crowfall [Updated with video]

    MassivelyRaph Koster is collaborating on Crowfall [Updated with video] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    ArcheAge patches in Divine Gifts and land expansion certs today

    Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST

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    Not that you can always expand the land you're on, see.
    Following today's ArcheAge patch you'll want to keep a close eye on the bottom left of the game's UI. You'll see a little icon light up to indicate that you have a new gift awaiting you, and then... you get free stuff. That's it. That's all you have to do. The newest patch will offer these Divine Gifts to players regularly, allowing you to open as many as 10 in a given day for rewards like Lunarites, bonus food, and Hereafter Stones.

    Players will also be able to craft land expansion certificates (which will also be available from the Marketplace in a future update) and larger storage chests. That's in addition to new rewards for maxing skill trees and new portals leading directly to Serpentis and the Sea of Drowned Love. Whatever your focus is in ArcheAge, you'll have plenty of opportunity to take part in it when today's patch goes live.

    MassivelyArcheAge patches in Divine Gifts and land expansion certs today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    PAX South 2015: Jennifer Hale will host Guild Wars 2 panel, herald 75% off sale

    Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST

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    GW2
    So you already knew about Guild Wars 2's big event at PAX South this Saturday, the Point of No Return panel, which has players crossing their fingers for an expansion announcement. If you can't go in person, you can watch the whole shebang on Twitch for the low, low price of nothing. And that deal just got even sweeter, as ArenaNet has just declared this morning that gaming icon and voice actress Jennifer Hale, known to GW2 fans as the voice of Queen Jennah and to everyone else as the voice of approximately eight million other characters, will be hosting the livestream.

    Meanwhile, the studio has vowed to slash the price of the buy-to-play MMO to $9.99 on Saturday and Sunday in honor of the hoopla, marking the biggest sale for the game it's held to date. Characters in-game will be showered with sales on boosters and a free double-experience bonus that lasts all weekend.

    Massively GW2 expert Anatoli Ingram speculated about the possible expansion and analyzed the final season 2 episode in his most recent columns.

    Continue reading PAX South 2015: Jennifer Hale will host Guild Wars 2 panel, herald 75% off sale

    MassivelyPAX South 2015: Jennifer Hale will host Guild Wars 2 panel, herald 75% off sale originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: Will you play Elder Scrolls Online once it's B2P?

    Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST

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    Yesterday's news that The Elder Scrolls Online is going buy-to-play in time for its console launch surprised... well, not many of Massively's readers. You pretty much saw it coming. Some folks around here said this move was a certainty even before launch and consequently refused to buy it, deciding that patience would pay off. (And it did!)

    But what about now? I admit I'm much more tempted by a game that isn't charging an unwarranted fee and isn't abusing a cash shop. B2P is a great model for gamers, especially when they avoid lockbox crap (yay!). How about you? If you didn't play ESO when it launched last April, will you give it a try in March when it's down to just a box fee, a mild cash shop, and more traditional DLC?

    Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

    MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Will you play Elder Scrolls Online once it's B2P? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Forsaken World's Freedom Falls expansion coming February 4

      Posted: 21 Jan 2015 06:00 PM PST

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      Forsaken World's upcoming expansion is called Freedom Falls. When, exactly, is it upcoming? That would be February 4th, according to a Perfect World press release.

      Said release also tells us that Freedom Falls features a new playable race and class as well as a new high-level progression path called Apotheosis which allows players to "join the ranks of the gods of Forsaken World." New zones include the Land of Origination and the Polar Borderlands region.

      [Source: Perfect World press release]

      MassivelyForsaken World's Freedom Falls expansion coming February 4 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Stream Team: Landmark beginner tutorial, the third -- building with starter templates

        Posted: 21 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST

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        We've already seen character creation, combat, and cave-diving, so what's that leave? Claims! In this third installment of the Landmark beta starter tutorials, Massively's MJ dives into building side of the sandbox using the provided starter templates. Can someone just starting the game create much in his or her first hours of play? Join us at 8:00 p.m. and see all the possibilities for yourself.

        Game: Landmark
        Host: MJ Guthrie
        Date: Wednesday, January 21st, 2015
        Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

        Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

        Continue reading The Stream Team: Landmark beginner tutorial, the third -- building with starter templates

        MassivelyThe Stream Team: Landmark beginner tutorial, the third -- building with starter templates originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Guild Wars 2 player redesigns ANet's UI

          Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST

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          A Guild Wars 2 player who goes by the name of Amax on the official forums has redesigned the game's UI to correct "some flaws in the game's user experience."

          Changes include the character panel, the guild tab, the LFG panel, the story journal, and the addition of a lore journal. You can peruse a 28-page PDF complete with design notes and logic or check out a JPG screenshot showing off the concept just past the break.

          Continue reading Guild Wars 2 player redesigns ANet's UI

          MassivelyGuild Wars 2 player redesigns ANet's UI originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Firefall is prepping an all-new crafting system

          Posted: 21 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST

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          firefall
          Good news for those disillusioned with the state of crafting in Firefall: Red 5 is preparing an "all-new crafting system" to replace the current setup. New crafting dev Gortok spoke a little to this on the forums over the past month, saying that as a person who's designed four such systems for MMOs, he finds Firefall's crafting both pointless and grindy.

          Fortunately, Gortok has ideas to make it all much, much better: "It will take some time, and my plan is to actually rip out the existing recipes and research, replace the entire thing from scratch, and implement an entirely new system for the actual act of crafting. There are a lot of great things that we lost, and I want to bring some of those feelings back without the complication and confusion"

          Some of the changes include restructuring research, consolidating recipes, crafting in batches, and making thumping "more desirable" again.

          [Thanks to Eri for the tip!]

          MassivelyFirefall is prepping an all-new crafting system originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Crowfall creative director: Game is not for everyone

          Posted: 21 Jan 2015 02:30 PM PST

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          ArtCraft's head honchos have posted a two-pronged dev update on the Crowfall forums. Executive producer Gordon Walton says that work on the title has been ongoing for six months, and the studio currently employs 17 full-timers.

          Creative director J. Todd Coleman says that Crowfall is about to cross the 20,000 registered players threshold, which he calls "staggering" and "completely humbling." He also says that beginning tomorrow, the team will be ramping up details and information drops, some of which will lead people to the conclusion that "this isn't the game for them."

          "This game won't be for everyone, and we're OK with that" Coleman writes. "We've done big, mass-market games before. With Crowfall, we wanted to make something different."

          MassivelyCrowfall creative director: Game is not for everyone originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          New World of Speed trailer invites you to race the world

          Posted: 21 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST

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          World of Speed's latest trailer is out, and aside from a few briefing passing shots, there aren't many cars to be found in the clip's two-minute-and-20-second running time. What gives? Slightly Mad and My.com are showing off the game's globe-spanning locales. You'll be racing in the UK, the USA, Russia, France, Monaco, Australia, Belgium, and Germany.

          See for yourself after the cut.

          Continue reading New World of Speed trailer invites you to race the world

          MassivelyNew World of Speed trailer invites you to race the world originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Leaderboard: Is time or money more of a hindrance to your MMO habits?

          Posted: 21 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST

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          Elder Scrolls Online's forthcoming buy-to-play conversion is a hot topic at the moment, but sadly it doesn't do much for me on a personal level. Even if I hadn't already played and enjoyed ESO for a significant chunk of 2014, I don't have the time for another grindpark, however well made it may be and however well it scratches my IP-related itches. But hey, maybe I'll have time at some point in 2015. I hope so!

          What about you, Massively readers? Is time or money more of a hindrance when it comes to your personal MMO habits? Vote after the cut!

          Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

          Continue reading Leaderboard: Is time or money more of a hindrance to your MMO habits?

          MassivelyLeaderboard: Is time or money more of a hindrance to your MMO habits? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Star Citizen's persistent universe alpha scheduled for 2015, launch in 2016

            Posted: 21 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST

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            Chris Roberts recently spoke at the BAFTA LA Games Masterclass, and apart from the usual Star Citizen geekery, he had some interesting things to say about the crowdfunded space sim's release timeline.

            In a nutshell, Cloud Imperium is looking to publish a beta of the game's FPS component as well as a "planetside/social" beta this spring, followed by the debut of multicrew ships in the currently playable Arena Commander module this summer.

            Fall 2015 will see the first episode of single-player lead-in Squadron 42's campaign released, while backers will get their first taste of the persistent universe alpha before the end of the year. You can watch the BAFTA presentation on Twitch; click forward to the 39-minute mark for Roberts' bit.

            [Thanks Mohoc!]

            MassivelyStar Citizen's persistent universe alpha scheduled for 2015, launch in 2016 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            PAX South 2015: Massively's Larry Everett to guest on MMO community panel

            Posted: 21 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST

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            PAX South
            For MMO fans headed to Penny Arcade's inaugural PAX South in San Antonio, Texas, this weekend, there's one panel not to miss: Where Did Multiplayer in MMOs Go?. Massively's Larry Everett will guest on the community-oriented panel, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time in the Bobcat Theater. You can probably figure out the topic from the title, but here's the official blurb:
            In early MMORPGs, interacting with other community members in places like taverns and main cities were a necessity for advancement and survival. Today, interacting with random players has become a rare event instead of the tools for survival. Is this what we all wanted to happen? Join Alex Albrecht alongside Larry Everett and Patrick Mulhern to discuss the future of communities in MMORPGs.
            Larry will join Zerg ID Co-Founder Alex Albrecht, Lorehound Editor-in-Chief Patrick Mulhern, YouTube Gaming Strategic Partner Manager Meg Campbell, and Camelot Unchained Community Manager Jenesee Grey for the panel.

            Massively's big sister Joystiq will also be represented at the show; Joystiq Editor in Chief Ludwig Kietzmann and Community Manager Anthony John Agnello will host the In(s)ane Joystiq Quiz on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. local time in the Falcon Theater.

            MassivelyPAX South 2015: Massively's Larry Everett to guest on MMO community panel originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            EverQuest patch improves the look of old NPCs

            Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:30 AM PST

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            eq
            Happy EverQuest Patch Day, Norrathians! The team has put out the usual hodge-podge of fixes, tweaks, and updates to make your play experience all that much better. Go tell yourself back in 1999 how you will be living the high life now that this patch is out in 2015.

            Today's patch makes it easier to land hits with The Darkened Sea melee abilities, increases health of high-level mercs, improves older NPC character models, and improves water-related sound effects. You can read the full patch notes to see if any of these changes will impact your adventures.

            MassivelyEverQuest patch improves the look of old NPCs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Das Tal devs: 'We don't even own a gauntlet'

            Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST

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            Das Tal
            Yesterday, we posted about an article penned by Das Tal Head of Communications David Wells in which he threw down the proverbial gauntlet, as we put it, at ArcheAge's feet; he laid out many of ArcheAge's faults and explained how Das Tal, an admittedly indie sandbox, could improve on the format and avoid some of ArcheAge's infamous mistakes. This prompted a fiery debate, particularly among ArcheAge's fans and frenemies, over sandbox design in the indie and AAA space.

            Das Tal Managing Director Alexander Zacherl hopes to expound on that treatise with a letter to players of his own; he emphasizes that Fairytale Distillery's intent was not to provoke a duel with ArcheAge but to improve the studio's corner of the genre. We've agreed to publish that letter in full today. Read on!

            Continue reading Das Tal devs: 'We don't even own a gauntlet'

            MassivelyDas Tal devs: 'We don't even own a gauntlet' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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